


Apple Seeds

by Raithwin



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Barside Hookup, Be careful of beautiful strangers, Cream, Creammare - Freeform, Crossmare - Freeform, Double Penetration, Eggs, M/M, Oviposition, You might be in for a GREAT time, fey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:07:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24035572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raithwin/pseuds/Raithwin
Summary: You must remember to be careful of the fey. While they do not always intend harm, they frequently have their own uses for mortals whether amusement…or pleasure. Cross had heard of the fey a time or two, but never gave them much real thought. He was unaware of an important rule: Never tell fey your real name.
Relationships: Cream - Relationship, Creammare, Cross/Dream, Cross/Nightmare, Crossmare, Dream/Cross/Nightmare
Comments: 37
Kudos: 336





	1. Chapter 1

The tree was blooming. All around him, pink buds were opening and sending fragrance into the air. A flush of warmth ran through him and suddenly his twin, his other half was there on the branch with him, chin resting on his shoulder and arms curled loosely around him.

“Brother…”

It was a soft murmur. The very beginning of trying to vocalize what he was feeling.

“I know. I feel the same,” his brother answered back, equally soft.

“This is the twelfth spring,” he went on.

“That will only make the draw stronger. Then…”

His brother trailed off as they both perked up, looking to the mortal town at the forest’s edge. Something had changed. Someone new had arrived. Someone interesting. Someone conflicted and angry, yet full of a deep sense of duty. Someone who seemed strong. Exactly their preferred type. They exchanged a look and smiled. Seems they would be venturing out of their glen.

\--------=----=--------

Cross scowled as he settled into a seat at an empty table in at the tavern of the town he was stopping at for the night. He had grown fiercely tired of the hold his former friends had over him. He had not been home in months and somehow they had tracked him down to make this pointed request of him. Brought care of Frisk and his own brother to be sure he would listen before telling them to get lost. Of course they hadn’t gone. At least Frisk hadn’t tried to plead with him to come back. Papyrus however…

Cross narrowed his sockets. Papyrus had at least waited until after he’d agreed, reluctantly, to the task requested of him. He’d come to the point with only a little hesitation, as if he’d debated with himself if he should speak about it or not. Cross deeply wished he hadn’t.

_“No, Papyrus! You know how I feel and it hasn’t changed. I’ll do this for ya, but that’s it!”_

Papyrus had flinched back, head bowed. A part of Cross hated himself for snapping at his little brother like that, but mostly he wished Papyrus would just accept that his anger was too much to allow him to return. The young lords, Captain Undyne, Alphys, their own father, all of them! All of them had manipulated his beliefs and betrayed Cross’s trust. He had tried to break with them entirely yet he just couldn’t seem to escape.

“At least Frisk swore to me they would leave me be after this,” he grumbled.

He could finally, maybe, be free of them. A few years and perhaps he’d even write to Papyrus again. Or maybe not. As much as he would miss his little brother, he would not risk them using that connection to try and sink claws of obligation into him again. Much more and he may not be able to keep himself from bringing ruin to the noble house and surrounding town himself. It was something he’s considered more than once since finding out about…

“Hello,” came a smooth, pleasant voice, “Do you mind if we joined you?”

Cross looked up, surprised, to find two very similar, extremely handsome skeletons smiling at him. He was hard pressed to not flush. He’d never met any skeleton so beautiful yet here were two! Their bones almost seemed to have an ethereal glow in the fire light from the great hearth in the room.

“I, uhh…” Cross stammered.

The one with the gorgeous bright yellow eye lights chuckled musically before saying, “Do not feel obliged if you would rather not have company…”

“Oh, no! Not at all! I mean...”

Cross stopped, flushing and glancing around the tap room to try and rein himself in. He hadn’t meant to interrupt. He coughed discreetly to clear his throat and distract from the embarrassment.

“Please, feel free,” he said, this time managing to keep his voice fairly even.

He kept his eyes averted on the pretense of catching one of the bar maids’ attention while they made themselves comfortable. That only occupied a moment or so sadly and then he had nothing to distract him from his new table companions. The table wasn’t big and the three of them filled it. They smiled at him when he looked back to them, flush still not completely diminished.

“Thank you,” the other one, the one with the lovely purple eye lights, said.

His voice was similar to his…brother? They seemed similar enough to be brothers. This one’s voice was a little quieter but still pleasant and rich. Cross tried not to swallow. Why did he suddenly feel nervous?

“Think nothing of it. Its only polite after all,” he said, feeling nowhere near as easy as he managed to make it sound, “I’m Cross.”

“It is nice to meet you Cross. My name is Dream and this is my twin brother Night,” the first to speak, now on his left, said.

Night chimed in, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Cross.”

This time, Cross did gulp. There was something about the way this Night had almost lingered on the word ‘pleasure’. He wasn’t sure if it had been deliberate or not, but he found part of him wishing it was. What was wrong with him? Yes, these two were stunning but he wasn’t usually this tongue-tied! Thankfully, the bar maid arrived about them and gave him another moment of distraction.

“Hello, dears, what can I get you?” she asked, long rodent tail coiled safely up over her arm.

Cross indicated for the twins to order first, wanting to be polite even while trying to understand what was going on with him. There was an unease at the notion that they might be doing something to manipulate him, but he still seemed to be free thinking. After all, no one could blame him for reacting in such a way to two gorgeous skeletons. He was a healthy young monster after all.

“Would you have any wine?” Dream asked her.

“We do indeed,” she answered cheerily, “We have a nice, crisp white that can be chilled for you in but a moment. We also have a few reds. They’re not too strong, mellow and smooth.”

“Hmmm…”

The twins shared a look and Cross felt as though they held an entire conversation in that brief time.

“I’ll have a glass of red,” Night said.

“And I’ll have the white. You made it sound magical,” Dream added with a light laugh Cross didn’t understand.

The bar maid smiled at them and looked to Cross.

“Ale is fine,” he told her.

“We make our own apple ale here that’s quite sought after. I’m sure you will enjoy it. Back in a moment.”

And with that, she swept away leaving Cross with no distraction from the twins. Well, no reason to start off unfriendly. A little conversation might be nice to distract him away from his previous line of irritating thoughts. If, of course, that’s what they wanted.

“Thank you again for letting us join you,” Dream said, turning back to Cross.

====+====+====

Cross couldn’t believe he was doing this, but it was too tempting to resist. He followed Night out of the tavern while Dream settled for the drinks. Night still had his hand gently grasped in his.

“Where are we going?” he asked, trying not to let his gaze trail down Night’s body.

“Somewhere special,” Night replied in a near purr.

Cross shivered, not from the night air though. It was actually quite warm tonight. No, the shiver was from the alluring tone of Night’s voice.

Steps from behind and then hands were trailing over his shoulders before Dream had caught his free hand and pulled ahead to be next to his brother. Now they were both pulling him along looking even more gorgeous in the light of the full moon. Dream smiled at him and Cross felt his already excited magic tingle along his spine, starting to pool downward.

“Trust us, this will be something to remember,” Dream said sweetly.

He could only nod as they lead him across the short cropped meadows outside of town towards the woods. Then they paused, pulled him close and each kissed a corner of his mouth. Cross gasped, his magic thrumming and dropping low as he tried to figure out how to kiss back. The tingling spark of magic in their kiss was addicting! But before he could figure out how to react they were pulling away, giving him teasing beckoning looks before racing for the tree line.

Cross blinked after them, his mind momentarily blank. What…? He took a shaky step forward as they plunged behind a tree just past the edge of the meadows. They peeked out at him coyly, leaning around the same side of the tree, Night’s chin leaning on Dream’s shoulder. They laughed, a bright, beautiful, alluring sound that carried like chimes on the breeze and beckoned to him. Cross’s sockets lidded as a sly look came over him. So the something special was a romp in the woods. He couldn’t say he was wholly new to the idea, not with the deep woods around Snowdin.

With a laugh of his own, Cross took off across the meadows. The twins grinned at him and laughed again before darting away. They were quick and light in the woods, weaving in and out of tree and brush with unerring skill. By the time Cross had managed to plunge into the woods proper, he had entirely lost sight of Night and Dream was a fading golden glow tempting him deeper. He cursed under his breath, shooting himself ahead with a quick shortcut to close the distance with Dream at least. He was rewarded by seeing Dream give him a surprised look over his shoulder before he grinned and slid under a low tangle of branches. Cross was forced to veer around and suddenly found Night beside him, just out of grabbing range.

“Don’t lose us now,” Night called out, giving Cross a wink.

Then he darted ahead through gaps in the growth with nary a rustle of leaves. A small part of him tried to wonder at that, but it was ignored by the larger part of him wanting to catch these two beauties that were so teasingly evading him. He started using the shortcuts more, getting as close to one or the other of the twins as he could but they always managed to slip away. After his third attempt he felt something odd, like the tingle of a thunderstorm in the air pressing along his bones, but it was gone almost as soon as he noticed. Any thought for it was distracted by seeing both Dream and Night race into a clearing.

Seeing what was possibly their goal, Cross shortcut himself to stand under the massive double trunked apple tree, grinning at them with arms spread to catch them. They laughed seeing him and, instead of running into his outstretched arms, each caught a hand and raced around, twirling him so that he somehow ended up trapped between them. Now he found himself pressed back against Dream while Night pressed close to his front.

“That was a merry chase,” Dream murmured, leaning in to kiss along his shoulder.

“We liked your little teleporting trick. Made the chase more fun,” Night agreed.

Cross smirked, words ready on his lips, only to moan softly as Night kissed him, that addicting tingle of magic sparking again and exciting him. There was a heady, sweet scent in the air that reminded him of the sweet ale he’d been drinking. Night’s tongue flicked softly against his teeth, asking, and Cross gladly opened his mouth and drew the other into a deeper kiss, feeling deliriously triumphant when he drew a quiet sound from Night. He knew he was a good kisser! Especially for someone with no lips.

Then it was his turn to make a sharp little sound feeling two of their hands starting to roam over his body. They still held him hands, keeping him from touching back or moving much. Not that he especially wanted to move. It felt unbelievably good to be trapped here between them, kissed and caressed, magic heavy in his pelvis and making him all the more sensitive. More kisses were pressed to his neck and Cross shuttered, little electric sparks dancing along his bones. Their hands were everywhere, a teasing pressure through his clothes gliding over his ribs and brushing his sensitive pelvis. His false breath was coming quicker, hitched and with each he felt almost dizzier, overwhelmed, drunker and needier.

“We should get you out of these clothes,” Night said, pulling away from the prolonged kiss to Cross’s displeasure.

“Yes, but don’t stop,” he panted.

They laughed and Night said, “We aren’t stopping, but Dream should have his turn.”

Cross’s soul skipped a beat as Dream released his hand so he could bring his own up to cup Cross’s cheek and guide him around into another wonderfully deep kiss. Cross moaned. They almost tasted the same! And a little like the ale as well. Cross ached to have them, need coursing deep in his magic and bones. Yet still what swirled in his pelvis hadn’t formed into anything. That wasn’t important yet though. What was important was to get out of his confining clothing. It was keeping him from feeling them fully.

He was quick to start struggling out of his jacket with their help, not quite noticing that both hands were free now. Between the three of them, it seemed that in no time at all his jacket was being pulled off. Cross stepped out of his boots, kicking them away so he could shove his pants off. His two paramours murmured little pleased noises when the glow of his arousal was revealed, bright and intangible in his pelvic cradle. Fingers from he didn’t know how many hands brushed along the very sensitive bone of his iliac wings and he gasped loudly, breaking away from the intense kiss with Dream as the sockets he didn’t know had been closed opened partway. Dream took advantage of the moment to strip away Cross’s shirt, leaving him bare.

“You look so good, Cross,” Dream praised.

“Mhmm, yes, so ready and eager,” Night purred.

Cross shuttered, the praise and heated words going straight to his pelvis. Deep need, never felt before, and already mounting pleasure had washed his eye lights to hearts as he gazed at Night. He wasn’t sure when the other had lost his clothes but he looked even more stunning without them. His bones with gracefully and shaded with the softest tint of lavender, yet he still looked powerful. A winding design, almost like a tattoo on bone, wound its way along Night’s clavicles to his sternum where they curled around an apple shaped mark in a gorgeous purple richer than Cross’s own.

Fingers suddenly ran lightly through the unformed magic around his pelvic inlet making him moan and causing his knees to almost buckle. How was it that intense?! Such a light touch and his body was already rattling faintly in need. But even with the intensity, he could tell the light touches wouldn’t be enough.

“P-please!” Cross gasped out, trying to figure out just what he was asking for.

“Shhhh, dear Cross, we’ll help,” Night said reassuringly.

“Yes, why don’t you form something Night and I can both play with here?” Dream whispered against Cross’s skull as another finger brushed along his tingling pelvic inlet.

“Hghh! Y-yeah! Ok!”

Cross didn’t even need to concentrate. Almost before he’d finished his panting agreement, his magic had formed a female sex already damp and fluttering with arousal.

“Ohhh, fuck, please!” Cross groaned.

Night licked his teeth and exchanged a look with Dream. Cross had no idea what it meant until Night dropped out of sight and had Cross’s femurs up on his shoulders. A hot tongue, tingling with the magic that formed it, lapped slowly along the fluttering spread of Cross’s lips and he gave a shout of bliss, back arching to bring him closer to that amazing feeling. Night repeated the caress, tongue pressed firm along his slit and then flicking over Cross’s hard, throbbing clit at the end. Cross jolted, his legs tightening around Night. His arms flew back so he could cling to Dream, pressing harder into Night’s mouth and Dream’s hands.

Dream was tracing electric little lines with his fingertips along each one of Cross’s ribs while kissing a buzzing path slowly up Cross’s neck and jaw. Another shutter ran through Cross, then another jolt of pleasure from his clit and he twisted around to capture Dream’s questing mouth for another kiss. It helped some to stifle to keens and groans of pleasure Night was pulling from him as that skilled tongue danced pleasurably between his folds. Already, Cross’s core was throbbing, aching for more. He ground down against Night’s mouth needing more. He could _feel_ Night smirk against him before his tongue plunged inside, curling up to press almost against somewhere that pulsed with intense pleasure and Cross screamed. He broke away from the kiss with Dream panting and shivering, feeling queerly sated and desperately needing more as his skull dropped back to Dream’s shoulders.

He wanted to protest when he felt Night shift, but his mind felt muzzy and his voice would not quite form the sounds. Night was able to stand and shift Cross’s faintly trembling legs to be locked around Night’s hips. Then, as Cross watched, he leaned in to share a deep kiss with Dream, Cross’s fluids just faintly visible on Night’s tongue. Cross’s core clenched, something oddly arousing and embarrassing about seeing them kiss and share his flavor.

“Mhmmm~! You taste amazing, Cross,” Dream said in a rich, husky tone as they finally pulled away from the kiss.

Cross’s already flushed face grew hotter as he watched them lick their lips in evident pleasure.

“I almost wish you could taste us,” Night added, “but perhaps another time.”

“You want to feel us, don’t you Cross?” Dream continued, still in that rich timber.

“Want to feel us inside you, filling you,” Night purred, voice taking on a similar tone to Dream’s.

“Want to feel our magic and seed deep within you,” Dream said, leaning in to kiss again at Cross’s neck.

“Want us to make you cry out endlessly.”

“Feel more pleasure than you’ve known?”

Cross was shaking from the mounting need for just what they were tempting him with. He could feel their hard magic pressing against him in size that had him dizzy with the thought. He hadn’t known how much he desired that stretch, but now he felt very near peeking simply from the idea of it. Tears were gathering in his sockets as Night’s hardness rubbed suggestively along the wet folds of Cross’s mound. He wanted it! Wanted it more than anything! Wanted to feel them both deep inside feel them burst within him until they were utterly spent.

“…please,” he whispered desperately, “please, please, yes! I want to feel you both, please!”

He arched again, feeling his dripping entrance shift against Night’s shaft while Dream’s throbbed against his coccyx.

“Do you need us to stretch you first?” Dream asked, stunning Cross with the clear concern.

Still he shook his head vigorously, “No, please! Inside.”

He wanted to feel them, needed to feel them in him. He almost cried in relief as Night rocked his hips down, the tip catching against his entrance just before Night thrust firmly up into him. Cross moaned loudly, sockets lidding and back arching with the sensation of being filled. He clamped down around Night, hips rocking sporadically a few times before he finally came down panting roughly. Dream ground against his coccyx and sacrum, watching intently and Night groaned, thrusting in again and drawing another loud, breathy moan for Cross.

“Ohhh, brother, he feels so good!” Night moaned, “So deliciously tight.”

“Surely he can fit us both, right Cross?” Dream asked, giving Cross a look of deep need.

“Nghh!”

Cross felt his core clench in fearful need. He felt so full already but the desire to please them both, to feel them both, was crying out from his rapidly beating soul. He couldn’t even form the words, just barely managing to nod.

“Mhhm, then perhaps a change of position,” Night managed to suggest.

Dream made a sound of agreement and before Cross quite knew what they were doing, his arms were loose and Night was sinking slowly to his knees, then to his coccyx. Each shift caused Night to rub against Cross’s clenching walls making him moan in short, hitched bursts. Finally, Night lay back and Cross found his hands resting on two thick roots rising to either side of Night’s head. His face was almost eye level with the split in the trunk and the wild thought of if the tree was two merged to one or one split almost in two whipped through his mind nearly unheeded.

Night pulled back and thrust in again with a pleased sigh. Quiet words of praise spilled from his mouth making Cross’s soul giddy. Hands joined Night’s on Cross’s ilia and he looked blearily over his shoulder. Dream gave him a teasing, saucy smile before the firm head of his magic was pressed against Cross’s already stretched entrance. Cross had to press his top teeth into his mandible as the stretch ached sharply, his back arching up, trying to pull away.

“You can do this, Cross,” Dream told him, pressing closer, “just relax for me. This will feel amazing, I promise.”

Cross actually whimpered and then Night was there, pulling him down into a tender kiss that momentarily distracted Cross from the feeling of the widening stretch as Dream pressed in again. Then Dream gave a shallow thrust and Cross felt himself stretch wider as what seemed like half Dream’s length sunk into him. Cross’s head snapped back as his sockets went wide.

“HAhaaaah!”

The scream tore from him as unbelievable pleasure shot up his spine. It crackled along his pelvis and sparked in his head. He was so full! So utterly full! They were both inside of him, filling him! He couldn’t understand how it could feel so _good_ to be so filled.

“That’s it, Cross!” Dream groaned.

“Mhph! Such a good mortal, Cross,” Night moaned.

They both pulled back, creating a straining drag on his magic, before thrusting back in with dizzying force. Pleasure lit up within him, his core trembling with it and his soul suddenly bright in his chest. His jaw fell open with another scream as they repeated the motion, his left heart eye light flickering to blue and yellow as the pleasure mounted well past anything he’d ever felt before. His entire body felt alight with it, magic burning bright between all of his joints. He scrabbled for a better hold, unable to even try rocking back into their thrusts with his hands on the roots.

His desperately clawing hands settled to either side of the split in the trunk and he felt both twins shutter and groan, nearly making him jump as they stilled briefly. But he was able to rock back against them as he’d wanted. He had a momentary feeling of triumph before they both made a sound almost like a growl and began to thrust into him at a pace he was hard pressed to match even every other thrust.

“NAAAHHH!” Cross screamed again, pleasure bordering briefly on pain tearing his voice raw.

He shuttered, bones rattling loudly and clamped down on them both, orgasm rocking him with twitching completion that left his sockets lidded and tongue lolling out as he panted.

“Yes!”

“That’s it!”

Cross had no clue who spoke which phrase. He was far too gone for that. When they thrust in again, he made a strangled, delighted sound. They almost seemed to be deeper in him! Reaching a part of his magic that had him forming parts he’d never even considered. A womb formed within the protected shield of his ecto body that suddenly appeared spread from clavicles to his knees, a normally tighter area of his pulsing core spread wide by the twins’ pistoning cocks. All of it bordered just on the tantalizingly pleasurable side of pain that Cross had never realized he enjoyed before.

“Nggh! Pl-please! Please, I… HAHH!”

Cross’s pleading was cut off as the twins thrust especially deep, just reaching through that tightness before his womb before coming with echoing shouts. Two bursts of heat shot deep within him before stopping and…something odd happened. A sensation Cross didn’t quite understand pressed against his rhythmically clenching walls, moving deeper inside him. Another burst of heat from them and then something firmer dropped into his newly formed womb. Cross gasped and looked under him. Just in time to see another…egg? Were those?

“Yes,” Night murmured, voice musical with pleasure, “Our seeds. You will carry and nurture them for us.”

“We have been waiting so long to find another mortal to do this for us and, nghh~!” Dream paused with another shuttering moan and Cross felt another egg deposited in his womb, “And you are the most exquisite mortal we have ever had the pleasure of seeding.”

“Uhhmmm!” Cross groaned deeply, unbelievably pleased to be praised so.

His very soul trembled with the bliss, growing with each new burst of heat and the weight of each new egg. He thought he’d felt full before, but now! Now he was being stuffed, felt swollen taught with it. He was smiling, back arched and body shuttering as he panted in delight at being used so, breed so. He’d never known it could feel so good! He didn’t know that he could take any more but he desired it deeply at the same time.

“Ohhh! By the stars!” Night gasped, arching into Cross harder.

“Final one, Cross!” Dream groaned, “You can managed one more from each of us, right?”

Cross couldn’t even manage a proper answer he was so delirious with the stretch and the fullness and the pleasure. His smile spread wider, eye lights pulsing with the left glowing brighter, his tongue curling as his body rapidly clenched tighter. He could feel it! The twin bulges moving along the twins’ lengths through him together, pressing even harder against his tightening core. So close, so close! His fingers clenched spastically against the rough bark and the twins cried out suddenly, hips jerking. Cross saw stars, vision hazing entirely. Orgasm seized him again, bursting not just from his tightly clenching sex but flooding out from his soul in a burst of bliss of intense it would have been scary if he could have thought. The magic between his joints flared bright as the final two eggs were pressed into his already tight packed womb with one final intense burst of hot magic.

“OOoohhhh…” Cross shuttered hard, feeling the evidence of his own orgasm leak around the shafts stretching his entrance wide.

“’Oohhh’ indeed,” Dream rasped.

Cross was oddly proud to hear him and Night breathing hard. It pleased him deeply to know he had made this almost as pleasurable for them as they had done for him.

“Yes, that was, ahh! Mhmm, very good,” Night agreed after a moment.

Then he leaned up to kiss Cross tenderly. Cross made a quiet gasp at the sweetness of the gesture, his tired, sated soul fluttering. Then Night pulled away from it and Dream was shifting forward, making them all groan, so he could give his own sweet kiss. Together they left Cross momentarily stunned, his soul shining bright with the sensations of love and desire. It was enough to partially distract him from the overstimulating feeling of first Dream and then Night gingerly pulling themselves from him. He still gasped and bit at his jawbone again, sockets squeezed shut until they had fully withdrawn. Another small orgasm tingled though him from the overstimulation and relief of pressure causing him to rattle and tears to spill from his sockets.

The twins were quick to praise him, to lay him down comfortably between them on the soft grass between to trees roots. They petted and soothed and kissed away his small tears until Cross felt nothing but utter contentment. He didn’t know where they produced the water and cloths from but they even set about gently washing him, cleansing his tired and sore body of the evidence of their intense passions. It was all so gentle and nice that Cross was very nearly asleep when they finally had him dry again. They settled one to either side of him again, smiling down at him, each holding one of his trembling hands.

“Brood well for us Cross,” Night said in a gentle tone.

“We’ll visit again soon,” Dream promised soothingly, “For now, sleep.”

Cross’s sockets drooped, his eye lights dimming.

“Thank…you…” he managed to whisper.

Then he fell into a deep, sated sleep, cradled comfortably between them, the pleasant pressure of the eggs in his womb chasing him into his dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cross wakes up the morning after feeling unbelievably good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for all the lovely comments! They all made me really happy. I'm always a little nervous posting new things. It was a lot of fun writing that happening to Cross though, not gonna lie.

Waking up, Cross felt the most rested and relaxed that he had in a long time. It was odd, but nice as well. He was able to take his time coming fully awake, enjoying the dreamy feeling of being comfortably bundled in bed. The comforter had become wrapped all around him and the pillow was just right under his head. He’d even had an absolutely fantastic dream, surprisingly vivid too. He wasn’t surprised he could still feel his magic humming faintly, not with how amazingly intense the dream had been. Though it did surprise him that he’d dreamed of such of thing happening.

“What the heck was in that ale?” he wondered with a yawn.

He’d never even thought of being filled with another being’s eggs before. Never thought of taking two at once before either and it was a little worrying just how arousing that dream had been. Did that mean he wanted it somewhere deep down? Or had that somehow come up in a conversation in the taproom last night?

“Nah, something to think about much later,” he decided, shifting to stretch.

His weight was off. Which was saying something for a skeleton. A strange pressure just above his pelvis and a delightfully, embarrassingly pleasant soreness between his still summoned thighs. His ecto body was still formed! It couldn’t be!

“It was a dream, it was a dream, it was a dream,” he chanted a little desperately.

He kicked the comforter loose and got himself up on one elbow so he could finish yanking the cover aside, staring down his still naked body in shock. It hadn’t been a dream. It had all been real. There really were eggs in him! A double clutch from those stunning twins who had joined him last night. At first glance it looked to be well over a dozen vaguely teardrop shaped eggs maybe as long as the distal phalanx of his little finger. He…he was actually…

_“Brood well for us, Cross.”_

The words echoed through his mind and Cross had to drop the comforter to bring his hand up to cover his brightly flushed face. Night’s voice sounded alluring even in memory. Mingled embarrassment and anger flooded him as realized, belatedly, what had happened. He had met fey. Met fey and made agreed to so much more than he realized when he’d let them lure him out into those woods. He’d only ever heard of fey once or twice! He knew more about demons than he did of the fey!

“But they never got my true name,” Cross whispered hoarsely.

Cross may be the name he used exclusively these days but that wasn’t his birth name. Wasn’t it the full birth name the fey needed to thrall mortals? Then had he been under a thrall or not? Had he really wanted this or… Had he been used again? But they had been so sweet and asked at every step. Cross just couldn’t say no. Not when they were making him feel so good.

“Void and Stars, Cross! Get it together,” he snapped at himself.

He couldn’t let himself get bogged down in questions and speculation. Even if he had been tricked and used again, these twins were far more sincere and honest about what they had wanted from him. And, as he heard the echo of Dream’s lovely voice saying, they would visit again. He could demand answers then and until that moment, he could figure out what exactly he wanted to know. For now, well… For now he may as well get to work on that annoying task for the Dreemurrs and deal with the fact that he was apparently brooding two clutches of eggs.

Sighing, Cross dropped his hand and stared at the eggs again. It was kind of interesting, the sensation of being filled like this. The clutches utterly filled his womb, the magic tense. But when he ran a hand down his ecto he could only feel a very slight raise caused by them. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about fitting in his clothes. They all had enough give to comfortably accommodate his summoned body.

Just how many were there anyways? He was curious, probably far more than he should be, to know just how stuffed he was. Even if together they were still small enough to mostly cover with a hand. He made a rough count and did a few quick calculations and had his answer. Two dozen eggs. He had twenty four small eggs crowding his womb and, scarily, that thought was a little exciting. He shook his head and sighed.

“You guys better not cause me trouble,” he grumbled, swinging his legs off the bed and standing.

He promptly had to sit back down. This was going to be trouble. Not only was he still pleasantly sore from last night, the weight of the eggs had the unfortunate effects of throwing off his balance and being mildly arousing. There was no way he was going to be able to forget about them. How long would he be like this? Would they get bigger?

“ _Ovi_ -ously, couldn’t be that easy. _Egg_ -cellent.”

Man, he kind of wished his friend was here. He’d really appreciate these jokes. But the puns perked Cross up and he got to his feet again, more cautiously this time. The balance shift wasn’t as bad as he’d thought, just slightly lower and a little more forward than before. Nothing he should have trouble adjusting to.

At least all of his things appeared to be in the room, despite the fact that he only remembered coming up here to toss his pack on the bed before going down to drink. His pack was now hanging off the simple chair in the room, his boots standing beside it. He found his clothes from yesterday in the small chest of drawers looking cleaner than when he’d helped the twins strip them off. Cross scoffed and then laughed. Whatever else, these fey he’d met were awfully sweet. Cleaning him up, cuddling after, neatening his things, and even tucking him. He still had a couple of choice questions but at least they were seemed to earnestly want to take care of him, even if only for the eggs.

He got dressed, trying not to think about how they felt over his body or remember how it felt to be helped out of them. He didn’t need that sort of distraction now. It was enough of a distraction with the way the eggs created that pressure in his ecto and pressed against his pelvis. He needed to get moving.

Having gotten dressed and stomped on his boots, Cross shouldered his pack and began to tromp his way carefully down the stairs. They proved minorly challenging. The first few steps were fine but then his shift in balance had him overstepping and he had to clutch at the railing, but he missed his grab.

“Shit!”

He shortcut quickly to the bottom, stumbling once before he got himself balanced again. Then he groaned, scowling at his covered middle.

“Oh, this is gonna be fun,” he groaned.

He really hoped no one had seen that.

“Still feeling that ale, sir?”

Cross started a little, that voice had been far too cheerful. He looked around and, sure enough, there was the bar maid from last night standing a short way down the hall. She was grinning at him knowingly. Cross gave her a strained smile back, fighting down a faint flush. He was still feeling _something_ alright.

“Well, something’s certainly _ale_ -ing me this morning. That was quite good though,” he said.

She laughed in a few quick breaths and nodded to the door across from the taproom.

“There’s some simple food set out in there and you’re welcome to a bit even if you’re setting out directly,” she told him.

Cross looked in and spotted a few serving dishes and platters set out. Some bread, cheese, a little fruit, and what was probably a dish of porridge. Simple fare but good. He turned back with a grin.

“Thanks.”

She winked at him and walked away, humming to herself. Cross felt a nervous shiver crawl through him that he did his best to suppress. Did she know what had happened? Or was it just that she’d seen him leave with Dream and Night? How had those two got him back to his rented room anyways? Hopefully not by carrying him through the front door!

“Ughh, nope, change of focus, Cross,” he muttered quietly.

He still tugged at his hood as he moved into the small dining room. He didn’t really have the time to sit for something even though he was surprisingly hungry. He settled for snagging himself bread, cheese and a really nice apple. These he tucked away in a fold of waxed fabric from his pack and stowed away. He needed to get on the road if he was going to get to the next town over by nightfall. Somehow, he needed to find someone called ‘the Weaver of Judgement’, which was such a grandiose title he was hoping he only had to ask around in a decent sized town or small city to put him on the right path.

If he was lucky, this person would be within this same kingdom. All he had to go on was what the kid and Papyrus had told him. There were strange and dangerous things coming from Gaster’s old lab that seemed unkillable. They were causing chaos and destruction to the farms and hamlets nearest the lab. The Dreemurrs and their Guards had managed to contain the strange creatures for now but they needed to find a way to permanently stop the creatures. Before they destroyed everything. This is what he’d been recruited for.

Papyrus had found some of Gaster’s old notes at the house. By some perverse luck, those had very briefly mentioned another creature, likely a demon, Gaster had worked with. Some sort of contract with emergency provisions for contact. Either something stored in a bottle, presumably at the lab, or contact this mysterious person. Which was what Cross was now trying to do. With a womb full of eggs.

Cross groaned, pausing in the stable doors and scrubbing a hand down his face. How did he get into these messes? That just seemed to be the run of his luck. At least the eggs had been fun.

With a snort, Cross made his way inside the stable and found a young human there just finishing raking out a stall. Cross vaguely remembered giving his horse over to a similarly aged monster last night. The young human beamed a gap-toothed grin when he saw Cross.

“Morning, sir! Looking for your horse?” The young human asked brightly.

Cross couldn’t help smiling back at the boy. He looked like a scamp.

“Yeah, cute little black and white paint named Shoe.”

The boy laughed, leaning on his rake, “That’s really her name? That’s awesome! I thought Mico was joking.”

Cross grinned, “Yep, that’s her name. My horse Shoe. Which stall is she in?”

The boy kept laughing, just barely managing to get his rake into his small wheelbarrow.

“That’s great, sir. Best name I’ve heard in a while. She’s three down on the left. Did you need any help with her?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Cross told him, stepping aside, “Thanks.”

“Of course, have a good day, sir.”

The boy took his wheelbarrow outside and Cross moved down the wide aisle to the stall the boy had said. Before he’d even reached the door, Shoe had leaned over to nicker at him.

“Heh, morning to you too,” he told her affectionately, reaching out to tug at her forelock.

She ignored that, leaning even farther over the door to lip curiously at where his shirt covered the barely there swell of his stomach. He scowled and tried to push her curious nose away. She shook and blew at him before lipping more insistently.

“Oh, no. I’m not listening to that from you so don’t even start. It was _not_ intentional,” he told her in a low voice.

She nickered again and he was finally able to push her head away from his stomach. Of course she could tell something had changed. Even the way she pranced back from the door and shook out her mane made him think she was teasing him. Cross knew he had a flush on his face but he kept scowling as he marched into the stall. She made a quiet little sound and stepped closer, pressing her nose against his cheek. Cross tried hard to keep the angry face until she blew softly against him and he couldn’t help smiling.

“Man, I can’t stay annoyed with you for even a minute, can I?”

He gave her a nuzzle and reached up to pat her neck before moving up to scratch lightly behind her cheerfully perked up ears. He really couldn’t stay mad at Shoe. He’d had her since she was a wild little filly, all long legs and energy. She’d been his faithful companion through the fall out with friends and family. She was as good as family in a lot of ways. She could be a brat, but he still loved her. So when she leaned down again to lip and nose curiously at his stomach Cross gave a resigned laugh and stroked her forelock.

“I’ll let you see later,” he promised her.

She snorted, dropping her head and shaking out her mane before arching her neck prettily. Cross laughed. She could be a little vain but to Cross she had every right to be. She was a really lovely black and white paint with white socks on her left foreleg and right hind. Her tail and mane both started white but transitioned to black towards the ends. She was always quite happy to stand and let someone groom them.

He kept talking to her softly as he set his pack down and started pulling out her gear. The pack was magic, making it much easier to carry all he needed without looking like such a tempting target. It could store quite a lot and far more than he had at the moment. Even after taking out Shoe’s gear, it looked no emptier.

Cross took his time getting her ready for the day. Making sure the pad and saddle were sitting right, buckled her girth strap just so, slipped on her bridle, and secured his pack before going over everything again. Shoe kept an ear turned back towards him as he worked. He told her about his planned course and his hope that this shouldn’t take long. She was always a great listener.

“And then maybe we can have some actual time away from all of them and their problems,” he finished in a growl.

Shoe rolled an eye at him and pawed at the straw covered ground. Cross groaned, leaning against her warm shoulder and hiding his face. He didn’t hate _everyone_ from their old home. Not really. He still loved his brother. He had a deep respect still for the Lord and Lady. It was just the anger was still so fresh and equally strong. The hard ride from yesterday and the… great night had done a lot to calm him. He would do this and then he would go. Maybe travel the world, find new places.

He shifted away, forcing a smile on his face, “Alright Shoe, let’s make tracks.”

She tossed her head and he laughed, mounting up without a thought. Only to have to hastily bring his free hand up to stifle the sharp gasp of unexpected pleasure as he settled into the saddle. He hadn’t thought about the fact that he was still feeling last night between his now spread thighs or the eggs now pressing his ecto down a little more against the sensitive bones of his pelvis. He hunched down, face a complete wash of purple, sockets wide and blank as he tried to fight down several embarrassing feelings at once. He was, apparently, still unbelievably sensitive. The lips of his sex were puffy and sore and there was a far too delightful aching stretch along the bottom of his entrance. Trying to relax into the saddle just made them sharper and more embarrassingly arousing.

“Mhmm, shit…”

Cross had to squeeze his sockets closed and bite down on the edge of his hand to stifle any more noises. He could… he could do this. He just needed to sit up. Shoe shifted restlessly under him and Cross choked on a small moan.

“Everything alright, sir?”

Cross looked up hastily, eye lights reigniting and darting around as the embarrassment spiked. The boy’s voice had made him sound close but all Cross saw was Shoe craning her head around to look at him curiously. No sign of the kid, thankfully. Cross managed to pry the hand clutched into the pommel of his saddle off and patted Shoe’s neck.

“Sir?” the boy called again.

‘ _Shit.’_

Cross dropped the hand between his teeth and called out, “Yeah, all good.”

It almost sounded level too. Thankfully. He didn’t need some kid to know he was trembling in his saddle as small embers of pleasure floated out along his bones. He really wasn’t too keen on people knowing he was stuffed full of fey eggs either. What if something were to happen to… He stopped that thought with a groan. That wasn’t what he’d meant to be thinking! He wasn’t already that connected, was he? It had to be the fey. It had to. He wasn’t…

He looked down and realized the hand that had been between his teeth was now resting lightly over his middle. Right over the slight bump of the eggs. Cross closed his eyes again for a moment, soundly cursing himself out mentally. Then he managed to get himself mostly upright, flush still hot across the ridges of his cheeks. He pulled up his hood, doing his best to hide in the shadow of it, and tugged his mask up to hide what the hood couldn’t before nudging Shoe into a walk.

The first full step had Cross pressing his teeth together harder as the natural motion of himself and Shoe just shifted the weight of the eggs teasingly along his pelvis.

_‘Riding’s going to be f u n,’_ he thought sardonically.

Still, he was unbelievably glad he’d decided to mount in the stall rather than out in front of the inn. He gave a vague wave to the stable boy as Shoe stepped out onto the road and then stubbornly did his best not to look at anyone as they rode towards the edge of town. He was hoping this wasn’t going to keep them from faster paces. It would be nearly a day and a half riding to the next town if they could only walk. Though Shoe seemed content with that for now. But Cross knew her. Another twenty minutes and a clear stretch of road and she would be eager to run.

Sure enough, as soon as they had cleared the town Shoe was excitedly flicking her ears back towards him and then forward. Cross held her back for now. He wasn’t sure he was quite up to anything more than walking just yet. He’d rather be away from others before trying any faster gaits. Especially with the low level excitement warming his magic and sending tingles along his pelvis. He’d never ridden with his private parts summoned but he was hoping he’d learn how or it would be a very long journey indeed. And then who knew how long until he’d see the twins again?

Realizing what he’d just thought, Cross gave an exasperated sigh. That didn’t stop him from glancing towards the woods where, if he focused hard, he could just make out the very top of the crown of the twin apple trees. Perhaps they would come find him. Not that he was looking forward to it!

Cross made a face at himself and reached forward to pat Shoe’s neck, “Let’s walk for a bit, Shoe. I need to eat and get use to this so go easy on me, eh?”

Shoe flicked an ear back at him, then forward, before relaxing them both and snorting. Cross laughed and decided to take that as a ‘yes’. Hopefully, eating would also help distract him while he adjusted to riding with his ecto and the eggs.

====+====+====

By the time late afternoon had arrived, Cross was at the very ragged edges of his endurance. He couldn’t, he found, ride for as long as he’d been hoping for like this. Not at the lower gaits he’d been willing to try so far. He thought a gallop would be easier but after the alarming discoveries of the trot and canter… Well, he hadn’t quite worked up to it. And he couldn’t ask Shoe to gallop all day.

They’d already stopped a time or two when Cross had needed a break. He did not want to discover just what an orgasm in the saddle felt like. He wasn’t sure he could take having that knowledge. Besides, he was going to have enough fun cleaning his saddle as it was. Not to mention his shorts. Not that he’d actually been out of the saddle at any of those stops. He hadn’t been sure if he would be able to climb back up if he dismounted.

But now, Cross knew he was not making it to town today. The day spent in the saddle feeling the slightly shifting weight of the eggs against his pelvis and the movements of riding had him faintly trembling with arousal. He needed to get down and calm down. And set up camp for the night. That way if he hadn’t calmed, he’d at least have a little privacy to deal with this.

Shoe even seemed to sense that something was wrong. She’d been flipping her ears back towards him more and more in the last hour or so, occasionally turning her elegant head to eye him before nickering. He hadn’t spoken for some time. He was afraid of what might come out of his mouth if he did. Despite them having not passed anyone on the road since midday, he didn’t think he could stand the embarrassment.

So when the sign post for a small, cleared area came into view as they rounded a curve in the path Cross was so relieved he almost gave a little sob. This kingdom had a decent road system and kept at least one cleared area near a good water source for all the roads connecting the towns. This was Cross’s first time down this road and he’d been starting to think it might have been too short for one. Shoe, sensing his change in excitement, swung her nose towards the break in the line of trees. Cross encouraged her.

The break lead into a clearing just big enough to accommodate maybe two wagons and the accompanying people and animals. And by some stroke of luck, it was totally empty. The grass showed some signs of recent flattening, but it seemed no one was camped here now. Just Cross and Shoe in a comfortable clearing with a stream running past the far edge.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Cross whispered in a strained voice.

He brought Shoe to a halt in a shady patch of grass not far from the stream. Then he solved the entire problem of dismounting by just shortcutting out of the saddle. Shoe did not like when he did that and made it quite clear. Cross didn’t hear though. His legs had shaken on landing and he’d had just enough time to realize it had gone too far before he’d tipped into the stream.

====+====+====

“Stars blast it! Void, when I can talk to those two…ARG! Couldn’t happen after. No, Shoe. I’m fine.”

Furious shouts woke Ink from a sound nap. He jolted up right, looking around sleepily and likely would have fallen out of the tree he'd been in if he weren't comfortably bracketed by two smaller branches to either side of the large on he was on. Now he braced one arm on the branch to his left and used the other arm to rub at his sockets. He could hear all kinds of splashing and a horse. There must be someone in the clearing finally! But had they fallen into that shallow stream?

Ink sat up a little straighter and, sure enough, there was a horse that looked like someone had splashed whitewash on a black canvas and a person probably not much taller than Ink storming out of the stream, clothing soaked in several places. All of it black and white. Geez, did this guy have a theme or something? His clothes, the horse, next things was going to be his tent and his blankets!

Ink smirked to himself and draped both arms over the branch to his left, swinging around on his broader branch so one leg was crossed under him and the other dangling. He'd climbed up into this tree a while ago to have a little rest. He'd been on his way... somewhere. He'd remember where eventually. It was probably on his scarf. For now, this was rather interesting. There was something curious about this person.

"Oh! Hey, Broomy, he's a skeleton," Ink commented quietly to his weapon as the dripping monster lowered his hood.

Broomy was a large paintbrush Ink used to create and attack with as needed. It was as tall as he was. And apparently heavy according to anyone he'd ever asked to hold it for him. At the moment, it was slung across his back.

"I know you hate that, Shoe. Sorry, but I wasn't about to try dismounting. That was not happening at all. I just wish I knew why my aim was off," the skeleton grumbled.

"Shoe!" Ink exclaimed in a choked whisper.

The horse's name was Shoe! That was great. Ink pulled up a section of scarf to muffle his laughter while the skeleton stripped out of his wet jacket and boots. The coat was casually flung over a low branch of the tree closest to him before the horse, Shoe, had dropped her head to lip at the skeleton's shirt. The skeleton's expression softened and he chuckled.

"Alright, yeah, that's fair I guess," he said to the horse.

Then, to Ink's rising interest, the skeleton pulled up the front of his shirt to his sternum, revealing something delightfully astonishing. This monster was brooding! And it looked like quite a collection from here! Ink had to squint a little but he was almost positive they were fey eggs! They sat packed into the poor guy's magic, snuggly where the womb would be in your average monster or human. What a strange and unusual thing to see!

Ink decided he had to note that down so he wouldn't forget. This was something he would be grinning about for a while. Now the question was, just where had he run into fey? Ink wasn't terribly familiar with this kingdom so he didn't know if there were any fey woods nearby. Quite possibly though, the eggs seemed young.

"So," the skeleton in the clearing said, "Here's the kids, I guess. Twenty four of them and already causing me problems. I have so much sympathy for Mom right now. I remember her carrying Pap."

Ink listened, scribbling away on his scarf, as the skeleton kept talking softly with his horse while she got her fill of investigating his apparently new pregnancy. Until a noise out in the woods across from the stream had him looking up. He heard Shoe’s tack jangle and the stamp of a hoof.

The skeleton murmured quietly, “What is it, Shoe?”

Ink heard the horse make a low, almost grumbling whiney.

“Shit.”

Ink glanced down to the pregnant skeleton and found him whirling to face the stream, shirt back in place and pulling out a large… Was that a knife or a sword? Ink wasn’t sure. But it was a weapon. And just in time too.

“What’s this now? Someone forgetting the toll for using _our_ clearing?” A nasty, nasally voice rang out.

Ink looked back to the stream to see five large monsters stepping out of the trees on the other side. The one in the middle looked like someone had got a boar to walk upright, given better legs, and then stuck a bear’s torso in between. He had huge paws with claws as long as Ink’s middle finger.

“I’m not paying to use something free to everyone,” the skeleton in the clearing growled.

The boarish monster, who seemed to be the leader, snorted sharply, “Not free. This is ours and if ya want to stay the night, you have to pay the toll, got it?”

“Get lost.”

Ohhh, Ink liked this skeleton. Sounded strong and commanding and utterly unimpressed by the monsters staring him down despite the fact that they were all twice his size and more. And clearly bandits by their dress and attitude. Probably only passing through. This was an awfully small road to be staking out. And too close to towns. The skeleton probably realized all that too.

The bandits all gave low, evil chuckles however and started to tromp through the stream into the clearing. One, a reptilian monster with a short, stiff tail and a softly clacking fall of quills along the crest of its head, flicked out its blue tongue before leering.

“Well, maybe if he can’t pay with money, he can pay with body. I can taste quite a bit of excitement hanging in the air,” it drawled, “Had a fun ride today, little skeleton?”

“Or speaking of rides, that horse of his would make a fine toll plus penalty,” another bandit hissed, this one a lanky feline with a dull tan pelt.

“Not happening,” the skeleton snapped.

“Like you can stop us all,” the reptilian one countered.

The bandits laughed again, several dropping small canvas sacks as they stepped forward. Ink watched as the skeleton simply moved into a more combat ready stance. The horse, Shoe, had her ears pinned back and her tail was slashing back and forth as she eyed the approaching group with dislike. Ink decided she must either be well trained and use to combat or that she refused to abandon her handler. Or maybe both?

The feline was the first to make a move. It dodged around the skeleton and make a grab for the horse’s reins. At the same time, the reptile lunged forward with a short pike. The skeleton was forced to dodge slightly further out of the path of the feline and twist. He seemed annoyed by the tactic but not overly worried. That was justified when Shoe made a sharp, angry sound and struck out with a front hoof. The feline had to dodge back. The skeleton turned his twist into a slice, bringing the edge of his weapon down on the shaft of the pike. It snapped. The reptilian monster shouted furiously and tossed the broken shaft aside before pulling out two daggers.

“Take him out boys! Don’t injure the horse, we can make good coin with her,” the leader called out.

He and the remaining two monsters, one a towering thing with wings tucked in close to it’s back and the other a monster with mottled skin, horns, and four arms, leapt forward. The four armed one went to help the feline with Shoe while the other three tried to surround the skeleton. Shoe had pranced back a step or two, but was keeping herself posed to strike and eyeing both monsters with a nasty gleam in her eyes. The skeleton had to dodge a grab from the boar monster and then parry a strike from the winged one. But something seemed to surprise him about it and the skeleton took a few hasty steps back.

**_“You should do something to help,”_** grumbled a hollow voice in Ink’s head.

Ink blinked in surprise and glanced over his shoulder, “But aren’t you always telling me to avoid unnecessary fights and ‘distractions’?”

It was true. Broomy was often nagging at Ink to stay on whatever task he’d been working on. Even when Ink had gone up into the tree to nap Broomy had been at him about it.

**_“Go. Help.”_ **

Ink eyed Broomy a moment more, surprised by the firmness, before looking back to the fight. Shoe had just snapped at the four armed monster, earning a shout, and the skeleton was doing his best to fight both the reptilian monster and the winged one. Something defiantly seemed off. Maybe it was those eggs? Ink had thought they might be new. The skeleton’s face was an angry grimace. Then, he teleported.

Ink made an appreciative sound when he reappeared just in time to cut down the feline monster midair. It had gotten up on a tree limb and made a leap for Shoe’s back where the horse couldn’t see. The monster screamed and tumbled messily to the ground. Blood seeping from a massive slash across it’s back. But when Ink looked to the skeleton he couldn’t find him for a moment. Then Ink found him slashing at the winged monster, but the other three had turned to surround him again. That wasn’t good.

====+====+====

Cross slashed across the wings of the tall monster and it let loose a shriek of pain. The feline was screaming convulsively. Cross could hear Shoe trampling it, her hooves making dull but wet thumping sounds. Cross couldn’t turn to check her. Nor could he leave much focus for the monster he’d just injured. It had dropped its weapon and stumbled away, wings dragging. But the others were closing in. Cross didn’t want to try using a shortcut again unless he had to. His aim really did seem to be off slightly.

The real trouble was balance. The eggs were still throwing it off and making it hard for Cross to keep his stance. He’d already had his arms nicked a time or two by the reptilian monster. He was lucky the two biggest remaining monsters needed to get in close. They were intent on using brute strength. Or so he thought.

Just as he was knocking away another stabbing attack, a flash out of the corner of his vision had him spinning around to block. Just in time. His arms shock with the impact. The four armed monster had picked up the fallen great sword and brought it down with all strength. The steel of both weapons rang in protest and Cross had to struggle not to be driven to his knees. He had to protect Shoe. He had to protect the eggs. What would these low brow rejects do if they realized the eggs were there? Cross had to protect them.

“Hah! Got you now,” the boarish monster grunted.

Cross managed to shot a look over a shoulder just in time to see the monster lunge for him. He was going to have to shortcut! If he timed it right…

“Hey! Mind if I join?”

There was a thud of heavy impact against flesh. The pressure was suddenly lifted from Cross’s blade as the other sword lifted slightly. Cross didn’t hesitate. He danced aside and twisted around, bringing the sword up in a rising slash that caught the boarish monster across chest and snout. It squealed in rage, hands coming up to cover its bleeding face. Cross hardly had a moment before the reptilian one lunged in again, slashing both daggers at Cross’s face. He ducked, braced the middle of the blade with his other hand, and shoved the flat into the monster’s gut. The reptilian monster coughed and Cross was able to shove it away.

He could hear more sounds of fighting behind him. Whoever had joined was at least keeping that four armed monster busy. Cross couldn’t look. He was messily dodging away from swings of the boarish monster’s claws. Each one was low and inside his guard. Cross worried that if he moved to parry, the eggs might be in danger. He was working to shift his knife around. If he could get it upright beside him…

“Duck!”

Cross dropped. A claw swipe went over his head followed closely by a dark arch that seemed almost like liquid. The bandit leader bellowed. Cross got back to his feet to find a deep cut running up the length of one arm dripping blood and blackness. The reptilian monster, still gaining its feet back, looked momentarily stunned. Then it cursed and grabbed for the boarish monster.

“Shit! Pull back!”

“THAT’S MY ORDER TO GIVE!” The boarish one bellowed.

“So give it!”

That seemed to be brazen enough to make the leader actually look around. Cross remained poised, even as a stranger came into his sight out of easy striking range. It was another skeleton. Dressed oddly in browns and creams with an oversized paintbrush slung over one shoulder. Was he using it as a weapon?

“I’d listen to your friend there,” the stranger quipped, “unless you guys would rather end up dust like that feline.”

Cross risked a glance towards Shoe. She was standing a little further away, dust and blood splattered up her front legs. There was a badly trampled spot in the grass with what seemed like a belt and shirt in a small pile of dust. Cross had to resist letting out a breath and looked back to the bandits. The four armed one had edged closer to the other two, looking rather confused with one horn snapped off. The leader gave a deep snort.

“Gah! Pull back. This isn’t over skeletons,” he grunted.

Then the bandits turned and hastily helped each other out of the clearing. The four armed one grabbed two of the sacks but they left the third. After a moment or two of splashing, they were gone. Cross waited a moment to see that they had truly retreated, but the new comer just laughed and swung the oversized brush around to settle across his back.

“That was fun! Hope you didn’t mind me jumping in, but that fight didn’t seem balanced.”

Cross slowly lowered his knife and stood a little stiffly. Now that the fight had passed and the rush was wearing off, he had to fight to keep his legs from trembling slightly. The fight had been harder on his than it should have been and he could still feel a coil of fear over the safety of the eggs. Normally he could have handled those bandits just fine. Maybe gotten a little hurt. But normally he wasn’t worried about his stomach.

He glanced at Show again and she came trotting over to him. She stopped beside him, looking him over. He place a hand on her neck and she craned her head around to look at the strange skeleton. Cross was amused when she pawed the ground. This was more protective than normal for her. Still, this stranger had helped him.

“I appreciate the help actually…” Cross trailed off, brow ridges raised.

“Oh, I’m Ink! Nice to meet you. What’s your name?” the stranger, Ink, asked.

“Cross. And this is Shoe,” Cross answered.

He would have given her a pat but he was actually using her for support at the moment. The dip in the stream and the fight had done a lot to cool his arousal, but his legs had been unhappy with him already and the fight had made them no better. Not to mention that with the battle concentration fading his awareness of the eggs and how they rested in his pelvic cradle was growing again.

Ink grinned, “Awesome. She’s pretty good in a fight. Want help setting up camp? Its getting late.”

Cross frowned at this. Ink seemed to be jumping around the normal order of things. And he had nothing on in the way of a pack. Where had he come from anyways? There were no other horses or other riding animals nearby and Ink didn’t show much evidence of walking a lot. He was barefoot and yet the white bones showed no dust, only some darkening at the toes that seemed natural.

“I can manage,” Cross hedged, suddenly wary, “I wouldn’t want to keep you from your travels.”

Ink just waved a hand and went over to investigate the abandoned sack, “Nah, not moving on until morning. But I’m good at sleeping wherever.”

He pulled open the sack and Cross swore he saw Ink’s eye lights change.

“Hey! They must have been hunting! There’s a couple rabbits in here,” Ink exclaimed cheerfully, “We should have these. Fair’s fair for them attacking you, right? Bet you’re pretty hungry anyways.”

Cross stiffened. What did Ink mean by that?! Just because of the fight? Or was it something more? He couldn’t know about the eggs. He’d arrived after the bandits!

Cross looked down while Ink’s back was still turned just to be sure his shirt was still in place. It was and there were no cuts or tears in the material. Nothing to hint at the fact that his ecto was summoned.

“It’s been a long day’s ride,” Cross said flatly.

What little token trust Cross had been willing to have towards this Ink character was rapidly diminishing. It could have been a set up. Or he had just traded one bad circumstance for another. The only thing he knew about Ink was that he was pretty strong and used an unconventional weapon. He’d missed almost every attack. Did he fight like most skeletons? With bone attacks? Did he use something else? Paint maybe since he carried that huge brush? But how could paint be used as an attack?

“I’ll get a fire started then. You two get washed,” Ink said cheerfully.

He set aside the rabbits and began bustling about collecting wood and stones. There was a cleared area that showed evidence of previous use for a fire. Ink placed anything he gathered there before going back for more. Cross watched him for a moment before deciding that there was nothing for it but to get clean. He’d make sure he prepared the rabbits so he knew they would be safe. Because he was hungry. He‘d have to sleep lightly and cautiously too. After all, he didn’t need more trouble. He had enough as it was.

“Come on Shoe,” he said quietly.

She made a low burring sound but started walking towards the stream, Cross walking almost steadily at her side. They’d get through. Cross would finish this task for the Dreemurrs. He’d keep the eggs safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there might be a proper story here~! Don't worry, I won't leave Cross wondering and wandering. Hope you all liked this latest chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cross finds out a little more about his quest from an unexpected source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not me finally updating this after like a year. Oops.

Waking up the morning after the fight was nowhere near as nice as waking up after his night with the twins. Cross almost groaned. He was glad it was spring. The ground felt hard and cold enough without being half frozen like it would have been a few short months ago. He was sore, uncomfortable, and tired despite the sleep. He hadn’t even bothered with setting up his tent last night. He’d wanted to be able to see everything around him just in case Ink did prove to be untrustworthy. Or should those bandits try sneaking back up on them. He wouldn’t have put it past them.

In the end, all he’d got out of his caution was a poor night’s sleep. Well, he also wasn’t as horny as he’d been all of the previous day. An improvement yes, but he felt rather disgruntled about not getting to do anything about it after spending so much of the previous day creeping up to orgasm. Still, maybe that would mean he could actually ride today and they could cover a decent amount of distance. Assuming they got a lead on _where_ they needed to be going.

Deciding there was nothing for it but to get up, Cross opened his eyes. Bright, mismatched eye lights, one a sun and the other a green pentagon, stared back at him.

“Blackest fucking Void!” Cross swore, unconsciously transporting himself a few feet away from his bed roll.

He popped out on his feet, blanket still clutched tight in one fist and knife ready in the other. That Ink character was laughing over where Cross has been just a moment ago. How in the name of all the stars had he not sensed that Ink was right there?! That was the very reason he’d been sleeping so lightly! If he was going to miss out on a decent night’s sleep them he shouldn’t have to deal with strange skeletons staring down at him while he did it. At the very least, Shoe should have alerted him!

Cross looked around wildly for the mare and found her within a few strides of Ink chewing something. She was still eyeing Ink but in a way that said she was tolerating him for now.

“Good morning!” Ink said cheerfully between gales of laughter.

“Did you bribe my horse?!” Cross snapped.

“Pffff, maybe,” Ink snickered, “She wouldn’t let me near and I wanted to see if you were ready to head into town or not.”

That was it! Cross didn’t have to put up with this shit. He didn’t know Ink despite all the mostly one sided conversation from last night. He had no idea who he was, where he came from, or anything to make Cross believe Ink wasn’t someone like the bandits.

“I can make it to town myself so you wasted your bribe,” Cross growled.

Ink mostly stopped laughing and held up his hands.

“Hey now, pal. _Knife_ to see you so energetic after yesterday’s fight, but I’m not gonna do anything to you. Those guys said they’d be back so I figure why not head to town together and _point_ them out to the local Guards, right?”

Cross’s mouth twitched as he tried not to laugh. The puns weren’t bad and he supposed that was a reasonable point. Towns did prefer to know if there were bandits in the area. But that did nothing to make Cross willing to trust Ink at all. He kept quite, hoping that would get his point across and Ink would give up. After a moment, Ink sighed and Cross thought he’d actually take the hint.

“Still like that, huh? Look if it’ll help,” Ink paused to drop one hand to his chest, “I swear upon my Soul that I mean you no harm or ill will.”

Cross’s sockets widened a little in surprise. That was an actual oath! The kind enforced by magic beyond mortal control. It was a minor one but still! He’d only heard something similar for major ceremonies, such as when it was included in the oaths for the Guards they’d taken. Before he’d been forced to leave. Trying to break away from that oath was what had caused the damage his eye light and marked his face. He could even feel magic raising in the meadow as it did for such oaths. Not quite the same as during the Guard ceremony but still! Cross cautiously lowered his sword.

“Why?”

He couldn’t ask more. Especially not of a stranger. Why would someone make such an oath so casually? There were far more binding ones, yes, but for someone you hardly knew? Though, why was he so mistrusting of Ink? Cross knew he could be a little suspicious but this was a bit odd even for him. Ink _had_ helped him out. Maybe it was just the circumstances. Because he was already tense and on edge and tired and...

Cross had to close his sockets for a moment as his core throbbed softly, sending a new warm flush along his bones. Fuck.

“Because that’s what decent people do, right?” Ink answered cheerfully, “Come on, its not far to town!”

Cross opened his sockets again to find Ink up and bouncing lightly on his strangely bare toes. He seemed sincere. And the sooner they got to town, the sooner Cross could be rid of Ink and find information.

“Alright, fine. It’s gonna take longer walking, you know that, right?” Cross asked.

Ink stopped mid-motion, mouth still open at the question. Then he blinked and Cross swore his eye lights changed again. That was something he’d never seen before but he’d only met a handful of skeletons besides his own family. Including two lovely skeletons who filled him up so nicely. Who were coy and teasing, gentle and sweet, intense and intimate… Cross had to shake his head slightly to get off that line of thoughts before he got off on it. That mild flush was turning into a growing heat in his bones. He shouldn’t be thinking of Dream and Night right now! Even if he did have a growing list of questions for them to match the eggs now growing inside him.

“I can pace a horse.”

Cross blinked several times, realizing his sight had unfocused completely with his wandering thoughts. Ink was grinning at him, hands laced behind his head and standing casually.

“What?” Cross asked.

“Wow, you’ve gone all serious and monosyllabic on me. Did you not sleep or something? Or do you need to eat? There’s still some rabbit left from last night,” Ink said.

Cross knew that. He’d put a haunch in his bag last night. And he was hungry and tired. Honestly, he’d like to get to the town and crash again for a proper bit of sleep.

“And I said I can pace a walking horse,” Ink continued.

“Oh,” was all Cross could manage.

He was trying to control a sudden spike of panic and embarrassment without showing it on his face or in his voice. That Ink could pace a walking horse wasn’t surprising. Or really an issue at all. The issue, the thing that had anticipatory embarrassment pricking at his soul, was the idea of mounting up and riding while someone walked along next to him. The hopeful confidence that maybe he could ride today faded as soon as he considered trying it with company. What if it was more like yesterday than he hoped? What if he…?

Ink barked a laugh and Cross glared. He could feel magic heating the ridges of his cheeks.

“Awww, were you going to invite me up into the saddle with you~?” Ink asked in a honeyed tone.

Cross bristled and snapped back, “No! Do you even know how to ride a horse?”

“Nope,” Ink answered with a shrug, “So I’ll walk.”

The idea of leaving Ink behind was starting to seriously tempt him again. Yes, Ink had helped him out. Had been pretty decent company. But Cross still had no idea where Ink came from or how far he had travelled. With no gear other than that brush. That wasn’t even the sort of tool a magic adapt would use.

“So, are we going?” Ink asked.

“Fine,” Cross growled, “As soon as I get packed.”

“Sure! I’ll wait for you by the road!”

And like that, Ink dashed across the clearing to the turn off from the road. Shoe raised her head to watch him go before for snorting and shaking her mane.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Cross agreed.

Then he sighed, resisting the odd urge to rest a hand on his stomach. It was annoying really. The little eggs had only been there a day, yet he was already so attached. Wanting to keep them safe. But then, he’d always been a bit protective over youngsters. That was another reason he couldn’t wait for however long he would be brooding to complete the Dreemurrs’ quest. To protect the innocent villagers from the strange creatures should they manage to allude the Guards. What had his…what had Gaster been doing with them anyways?

Sighing, Cross moved to pack up the few items he’d pulled out for camping. There wasn’t much. Though the growing heat in his bones was not helped by his awareness of the eggs as he knelt down to get his bed roll bundled back up. Cross grit his teeth and tried not to focus on it. In maybe fifteen minutes, he had it all packed away and was slipping Shoe’s halter and lead on.

“Feel free to bite him if he’s annoying,” Cross murmured to Shoe.

She pricked up her ears and nickered. She didn’t usually bite people but sometime, when someone annoyed her, she’d been known to nip. Seeing Ink on the receiving end of her teeth would certainly make Cross feel better.

“Are you ready now?” Ink called out.

Cross sighed and rolled his eye lights before turning and leading Shoe back towards the road.

“Yeah, we’re ready.”

Ink grinned, “Great! Let’s get moving!”

Cross sighed again as Ink spun around to lead the way already chatting a mile a minute. This was going to be a long morning.

\---------------

It was a _really_ long morning, but thankfully the town was coming into sight in the distance. Ink could talk for entirely too long about basically nothing at all. And he jumped around topics seemingly at random. But Cross had discovered not everything about the morning was bad. Even Ink’s chatting wasn’t so bad when he could get a word in edgewise. And despite being annoying, Ink could tell a pretty good pun. But the discovery of interest was that walking with a womb full of young fey eggs was nowhere near as bad as riding with them had been yesterday. He could still feel their subtle weight shift as he walked and the warm brush of arousal refused to leave him but for now he could mostly ignore it.

It was kind of nice to be travelling with someone again. He’d been travelling mostly on his own for almost a year now. At first it had just been to get away, but after a while it was just habit. He hadn’t stayed anywhere long enough to make many friends. Before Papyrus and Frisk had found him, Cross had been thinking about heading south with one of the merchant caravans as a guard. It was what he knew and then he could see somewhere very different. That was what his friend Epic had signed up for last time they’d been together. He’d invited Cross to join and Cross still wasn’t sure why he hadn’t taken the offer.

_‘Still an option,’_ he thought, _‘Just…later.’_

He had to keep his hand from straying to his middle again. He hadn’t looked at the eggs since yesterday and part of him just couldn’t quite believe they were there without seeing them again. Even though he could feel their slight pressure inside him. It was such an odd change. This is what he got for not studying more about fey. The fey weren’t seen much around his hometown but they weren’t unheard of. He still couldn’t decide if he’d been under a thrall or not. He hadn’t offered what should be his true name so they shouldn’t have had power over him. Or no more than two really handsome skeletons should normally have.

“Hey, did ya hear what I asked?”

Ink’s question burst its way into the middle of Cross’s thoughts and scattered them like leaves in the wind. Cross’s head jerked up and he stared at Ink in confusion.

“What?”

Ink sighed, miming a look of hurt, “You haven’t hear a word I said at all!”

“Its hard to _not_ hear every word you say,” Cross shot back with a disgruntled expression.

Ink turned sad eye lights on him. One was even a blue tear drop. How did his eye lights do that? Did he control what they were? Was that even a natural thing? Or should he be taking it as a sign that Ink really was some sort of magic adapt? It would certainly explain how Ink traveled so lightly. And it sounded like Ink travelled a lot. He’d named at least a dozen places Cross had never heard of in his rambling stories and just as many Cross had heard of. Though Cross had figured out that was Ink wasn’t from the kingdom they were currently in.

“Hearing doesn’t mean listening,” Ink countered, looking morose.

Cross sighed. The walk may have woken him up more but the lack of good sleep was still dragging at him. On his other side, Shoe blew out a quite snort that made it sound like she was laughing at his misery. Though it was more likely she was simply bored of only walking.

“I had been listening, but what did you ask?” he asked tiredly.

Ink’s expression went from kicked puppy to grinning friendliness like a flash.

“You said you were looking for someone and I’d asked who. I’ve been around so I might be able to help!” Ink explained.

Cross’s brows furrowed as he tried to remember just when he’d said that. He’d been talking with Ink on and off for much of the morning and he did remember mentioning other travels. Ink had said that he was travelling through this kingdom, the Kingdom of Ambria, on his way to the coast. Cross didn’t actually know where he was going yet. Because even though Gaster had been a very careful and methodical monster he’d apparently decided to be _cryptic_ and _mysterious_ about this one rather crucial piece of information. And Ink wouldn’t even be the first he’d asked about the Weaver. Not to mention, he didn’t know how long he had before the eggs needed to…

Cross felt a flush warming his face even as he cut the thought off, looking down and tugging at his hood. He should have pulled up his mask! So what if there wasn’t as much road dust when they walked! He should not be thinking of the eggs coming out right now! He was with company!

“Ohhhh~”

Make that annoying company.

“Is it someone special you’re looking for?” Ink cooed.

“NO!” Cross snapped, “I’m doing this as a favor for someone!

“Ahh, so you were just that moved by my generous and sincere offer of help,” Ink sighed warmly.

Cross pulled a face as Ink batted non-existent eyelashes at him. Ink’s eye lights changed every single time he blinked! There was no way that was natural. Which just made Cross cautious about him all over again. Even if the two most likely explanations were a high level affinity with magic or a curse. Maybe Ink even had a demonic contract. Cross would have no way of knowing for sure unless he saw a demonic seal or an adept’s sigil somewhere on Ink.

Finally, Ink burst into laughter and Cross huffed. This just seemed to be Ink’s personality. Chatty, excitable, and teasing.

“Anyway,” Cross said, deciding to ignore that last remark, “I need to find someone called ‘the Weaver of Judgement.’ Ring any bells?”

Ink brought a hand up to his chin and frowned thoughtfully.

“Hmmmm… Not any bells necessarily, but it might strike a chord.”

Cross felt his mouth twitch upward at the corner. Ok, chatty, excitable, teasing, and kind of funny. Ink glanced at him with a raised brow ridge and Cross raised his own in silent question.

“Are you sure it’s the Weaver of Judgement and not the Weaver of _Final_ Judgement? Cause I’ve heard of the second one.”

That stuck Cross and he had to pull up short to think about it. There was no way there were two such similar titles. Ink paused in his stride and Shoe stopped with a sigh before shifting to investigate the young grass at the edge of the road while Cross thought back to the conversation with Frisk. There had been a lot of tense talking but there were only a few times the title had come up. Frisk had said it when explaining what the note said. Cross had grudgingly repeated it to fix it in his memory…

_“Find the Weaver of Judgement. That’s it?” Cross had asked, wanting to be very clear._

_“ Final Judgement, Sans,” Papyrus had interrupted, “You of all people should know the importance of even the smallest detail.”_

Hearing that reminder had hurt. Not for the correction, but for what it spoke back to. Back to the days of training. Back when things had been good and they had teased each other about what they had gotten right or wrong. Such as the time Sans had eaten a strilator mushroom during a foraging exercise thinking it was very similar and safe mushroom. That mistake had left him bedridden and magic crashed for almost a week, but his brother had been there the entire time nursing and scolding him in turns.

Remembering such times still made Cross both sad and angry. He missed those times, how they had been when they were still young and foolishly happy. Before… Cross blinked and shook his head to dislodge the line of thought before he could get caught up in it. Now was not the time to let bitter nostalgia get to him. Though he still wasn’t a fan of mushrooms and avoided them when he could. But the important part was that Ink had it right. Inclining his head slightly, Cross said as much as he resumed walking.

“Final Judgement. Any chance that means you know where I can find them?” he asked, a hopeful note creeping into his voice.

Ink gave him a huge grin. Cross tried to keep the mounting hope from running away with him. If he’d lucked into someone who could give him directions then his quest just got much shorter. He hoped he hadn’t been travelling the wrong direction. He’d been heading south and west on the advice Muffet had sent with Frisk. That was apparently the best the spider could divine about this person. And since Cross knew that Muffet was usually a better diviner than that he had to grudgingly assume the vague directions were because the Judge was obscured in some way rather than Muffet being spiteful.

“So?” Cross pressed, “Where can I find them? Close by?”

Cross knew that was hopeful thinking. With the answers he’d received so far it seemed unlikely that this person was within this kingdom. Unless they were only known to the nobility, but usually the plainer folk knew such titles. Some nobles, especially minor nobles feeling less then secure in their position, did not take kindly to being mistaken by the peasantry. So most plain folk knew the nearest land owning noble and those that surrounded them even if the plain folk themselves were not tenants of those nobles.

Sure enough, Ink shook his head, confirming what Cross had guessed.

“Nope. They’re in An’Viidot,” Ink solemnly informed him.

Cross stared blankly at Ink. He was pretty sure he’d heard that name before but he couldn’t seem to place it. Maybe because he was tired. Was it a city? An estate? A kingdom or some other type of state? Ink chuckled at the look, lacing his fingers behind his head.

“Its to the southwest of this kingdom,” Ink elaborated, “You’ll have to cross the White Lake. Or, well, you could go around but that’d take ya pretty far outta the way. Oh!”

Ink dashed up the road even as Cross tried to call after him to examine one of the barrier stones they’d been approaching.

“Hey!” Cross called, irritation rising.

Ink ignored him, apparently wholly focused on checking out the stone on the left bank, and Cross ground his teeth as dismay reared to war with the irritation. He almost jogged after Ink as the desire to grab his and shake him for more information seized him briefly. He wanted more details then that if Ink had them and it sounded like this strange skeleton just might. Cross had never heard of the White Lake and there were any number of lakes to the southwest, especially once you got outside Ambria. If one went far enough south in that direction then there was a full on marsh that stretched for miles and Cross had very little interest in riding across that.

Letting out a tight sigh, Cross forced himself to walk and not give in to the impulse. It didn’t take long to catch Ink up anyways as he’d only gone a few feet. Cross glanced irritably at the stone that had caught Ink’s attention but couldn’t find anything of interest about it. It looked pretty much exactly like the one across the road and the similar set they’d passed a few miles back. Etched with distinct series of magical glyphs. Each set was part of the two concentric circles of such stones that would ring the town. When activated the stones would create a pair of protective barriers to keep the town and surrounded fields safe. Nearly every town across the continent had them so Cross didn’t understand why this particular one would be so fascinating.

“What did you mean?” he asked.

He and Shoe were just passing Ink and Cross was hoping the question might drag Ink back on topic. Though they were nearly to town and if needed he could use what little Ink had given him to find his way. Especially if the town had a map he could check. He knew the general terrain of the area but Ambria was about the furthest south of his old home he had studied in much detail during his training.

Ink didn’t say anything. Simply hummed thoughtfully before tapping a spot between two of the markings on the stone. Cross couldn’t see anything there except possibly a line of shadow or darker veining in the stone. Exactly nothing of interest that he could see. Perhaps Ink was skilled in barrier magics? That was a very particular sort of learning. Anyone with a drop of magic could activate the spells on a barrier stone to raise the shield but it took real skill to weave the networks of magic into the stones and maintain them.

“What’s there?”

Cross couldn’t help himself. Weaving shields wasn’t his strong suit but it was something he as a Guard took very seriously. Even if he wasn’t technically a Guard anymore. Still, a flaw in the stones was something to mention. If their upkeep was neglected the barriers would not activate when needed. The backlash of magic could even shatter the stones. But Ink just tapped the spot once more as his expression became amused. Then Ink pivoted away from the stone and started walking with Cross again as if nothing had happened.

“Oh, nothing,” he hummed, “thought I saw something but it was just a shadow.”

“Right…” Cross said slowly.

At his side, Shoe gave a snort. Apparently she didn’t seem convinced by that either, but Cross hadn’t seen anything wrong with the stone. But Ink was already on another topic.

“And we’re here!” the odd skeleton cheered, “And man something smells good. Hey! Excuse me!”

Cross grimaced at the volume as Ink waved to get the attention of a rather bored looking monster in uniform sitting at a watch station they were approaching. The monster looked up, one floppy ear pivoting towards Ink.

“Yes?” the watcher asked, “How can I help you, sirs?”

“Does this town have Dragon Fire Coffee?” Ink asked eagerly.

The watcher nodded, a smile coming to her muzzle, “We do. Bun’s Café recently started serving it.”

Ink cheered and before Cross quite knew what had happened Ink had gotten directions to the café, bid Cross a cheery farewell, and vanished. Cross found himself standing alone by the watch station with Shoe. Shoe tried to toss her head but the lead was too short so she burred roughly instead. The watcher turned to him, both ears up now and a friendly expression on her face. 

“Were you not joining your friend, sir?” she asked.

Cross grunted and then shook his head. Of course Ink had run off before mentioning the reason he’d insisted on sticking to Cross.

“No and he’s not my friend. We just met on the road and thought it best to travel in company as we had a run in with some bandits down at the rest stop.”

The watcher’s expression hardened in concern.

“Bandits!” she exclaimed. “In these parts?”

Cross hurried to reassure her.

“We were able to drive them off last night, but we wanted to inform your town guard just in case.”

The watcher relaxed.

“Thank you, I’ll be sure to pass that along to the pack. Is there anything you did need help with in our quaint town?”

Cross was about to speak when he felt a mild twist in his magic that made him grateful skeletons didn’t have stomachs that grumbled their emptiness. That would have been rather embarrassing, especially right after he’d said he wasn’t going to follow Ink to the café. Scratched at his cheek, Cross reconsidered what he’d been about to say.

“Well, a bite to eat would be nice,” he admitted. “But I was really hoping to find a map of the lands to the southwest of this kingdom.”

Before he’d even finished, the watcher’s ears had already twisted partway back as her nose lowered slightly, giving her a very apologetic expression.

“Sorry, best map we’ve got will show you the towns and roads of Ambria. We’re kind of a small town.”

Cross could feel his shoulders slumping.

The watcher hastened to offer more, “But! The next town south on the road is a good bit bigger and should have just what you’re looking for. They might even have copies for sale. Its only half a day away if you ride fast.”

Relief and hope brightened Cross considerably, but he tried to keep himself cautious and reasonable..

“What if I can’t ride fast?” he asked.

He didn’t notice a hand drifting up to his middle until the watcher’s expression softened and her ears cupped forward. He thought he even saw her tail come up to wave back and forth. Embarrassed, Cross started to shift his hand away but decided the damage was already done. Besides, it wasn’t unusual for skeletons of any gender to be with child. He just honestly never thought to be with child himself. But so long as no one saw the eggs, his true secret was safe. He let his hand settle over the eggs and she gave him a warm smile of understanding.

“That would make a hard ride less appealing,” she said with a yip of laughter that only made Cross flush brighter. “But if you set out now you’ll get there well ahead of sunset. And Tatsi has a stand near that gate where he sells some amazing meat pies you can eat on the go.”

Cross beamed at her, “Thanks! That sounds perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hmmm, I've been wanting to write something Ovi related for a while now. There was a flood of it on my Twitter feed and I was inspired recently with this tasty piece. Hope you enjoyed~

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Fate Unknown](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26041207) by [0neType](https://archiveofourown.org/users/0neType/pseuds/0neType), [LyraLV](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyraLV/pseuds/LyraLV)




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